Sweetest Thing
by lovetheory5
Summary: As Sakura sadly watches Kakashi from afar, he’s doing the same with her. How much longer will they make themselves and each other wait in the dark? Ch 7 up! KakaSaku. Enjoy!
1. All I Want Is You

Disclaimer: _Naruto_ and the characters are not mine and never will be.

**Chapter 1 – All I Want Is You**

Sakura stood alone in the shadow of the trees, holding her basket of soldier pills as she watched Naruto training with Kakashi-sensei to develop his new chakra shape-molding and wind element combination technique. It really was quite a funny scene – Kakashi with that look of frustration people normally had on when explaining things to Naruto, Naruto with that same old look of cluelessness. She should have been laughing or at least smiling, but Sakura's face was completely devoid of emotion except for an almost imperceptible frown. Her eyes fixed on the back of Kakashi's head as she tried to will him to turn around and look at her. And then walk towards her. And then tell her all the things that would make her six year long dream come true.

She remembered the first time, all those years ago, that these feelings for her teacher had arisen within her. She had been watching him then, too. As Kakashi-sensei was fighting against Zabuza, she had been observing him quietly – watching the movements of the strange left eye that he had always kept hidden until then, the powerful techniques he used against his enemy, the way he moved so gracefully and with such intent – knowing that all this was being done in order to keep his promise to protect his team. But the thing that had interested her most was the long scar running down his face. She had wanted to reach out and run her finger down it, ask him how he had gotten hurt so badly….

Snapping back into reality, Sakura shook her head and sat down, leaning back against a tall tree.

_I can't believe that was so long ago_, she thought to herself.

Since that day, a lot of things had changed. As time passed, the team had gotten closer, been shattered by Sasuke's defection, and worked hard to become stronger in order to get him back and also protect Konoha. And every moment she had shared with Kakashi since then had caused her feelings for him to grow stronger. He had comforted her when she felt the pain of rejection from Sasuke, protected her when she was in danger, and genuinely encouraged her when she felt inadequate. He had allowed her to share moments of deep happiness, of quiet contemplation, of intense sadness, with him. And she loved him for it.

As Sakura continued to watch Kakashi, a cooling breeze blew through the trees. She took in a deep breath and looked up at the clear blue sky. She smiled to herself, thinking about the man she loved. But the smile was quickly replaced by a pang of sadness. The knowledge that there were only too many reasons why her wish would never come true made her ache inside: the age gap, the fact that he was her sensei, the fact that he was too good for her…. The last reason was the saddest truth for her. Kakashi was one of the most powerful shinobi in all of Konoha; he was so alluring that women would fall at his feet without even knowing what he looked like under the mask; and so handsome that when they did know, they were rendered into speechless, blushing stupors. There was no way.

She could only imagine how awful it would feel if she were to confess her feelings and he rejected her. Not to mention how awkward it would make everything.

_If only –_

She didn't even know how to finish that thought, there were so many things she wished she had the power to change.

_If only, if only…._

Sakura pulled her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to go to a secret dreamworld for moment. She imagined Kakashi pulling her in for a hug, she would rest her head on his strong chest and put her arms around him, he would look down at her, she would look at up him, he would kiss her lightly on the forehead, smile at her with that smile that turned his one visible eye into that adorable crescent moon, and lean down to kiss her sweetly, and her heart would flutter with joy.

Not that all her fantasies of Kakashi were that innocent. There were certainly times when she would look at him or just hear his sexy voice and think "Hell, yeah!" She would be hit with such a wave of desire that it was almost impossible to keep herself from grabbing him and doing things to him that would make even Hatake Kakashi, the shameless erotica enthusiast, blush!

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Thanks for reading my first story, folks! Please do leave your comments, I accept any that you may have – I really want to make this story a good one. =T Next chapter will be Kakashi's POV.


	2. North and South of the River

**Chapter 2 – North And South Of The River**

Even though he was trying to focus his attention on Naruto, it was difficult for Kakashi to concentrate. He hadn't actually turned around to look at her, but he could acutely feel her presence at the edge of the woods, watching the training session. He turned to greet her but became worried when he saw her sitting with her head down, hugging her knees.

_What's wrong, Sakura? Are you tired? Sad? Worried about something?_

Kakashi wished he could just run over to her and put his arm around her so she could rest her head on his shoulder, but he knew he had to control himself. He had told himself a long time ago that he had to resist the temptation to let her, or anyone, know how he felt about his beautiful young former student.

The day Kakashi had first met Sakura after being assigned her teacher, he had thought she was a cute, cheeky girl, and though she was always being outshined by Naruto and Sasuke, he knew she had great potential and possessed a unique talent for chakra control. Now she had blossomed into a young woman who was well on her way to becoming a great medical ninja, was fiercely loyal, had the ability to break almost anything with her fists, and had a smile that… his words could not describe.

But he knew he would never get to have her. For one thing, she was still quite young and she had also been his student. He could only imagine the kinds of things people would say, and though he knew it would be inconsequential for him, he didn't want her to have to face that. For another, she had been so in love with Sasuke, perhaps she still was, waiting for him to return whether by choice or by force. She had been so devastated when he left. Then there was the fact that she was beautiful. And though she probably didn't know it, she had her pick of all the men in Konoha – there probably wasn't a single one who wouldn't love to be with her, who wouldn't want to caress her soft skin, to feel her curves close to them. She certainly would not want to settle for her perverted old teacher who only showed about an eighth of his face on a good day.

There had been so many times during the past few months that he wanted to tell her, but the last thing he needed was to hear her confirm what he already knew. He didn't want to destroy the relationship they already had by making her feel uncomfortable around him. He let out a small sigh. It almost pained him to think about her, he wanted her so badly. He had tried so many times to convince himself that he didn't, to make himself forget about her.

But every time she was in danger, like in the battle against that crazy puppeteer Akatsuki, he wanted nothing more than to fly to her side and keep her safe. Though he knew how capable she was of taking care of herself he still wanted to beg her to leave so she wouldn't be in harm's way. There were many times when he cursed himself for not being stronger so he could protect her better.

As the sun shined down on Kakashi, he looked across the field at the woman occupying his thoughts. His eyes widened slightly in surprise when she picked up her head and looked right at him. Even from that distance, the intensity of her lovely green eyes pierced him and he felt that familiar jolt in his chest. He quickly made himself recover and smiled at her, taking his hand out of his pocket to give her a small wave.

It was becoming harder and harder not to act on his feelings.

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All right, folks, it's that time again! I hope you enjoyed. Please leave your comments, I GREATLY appreciate them. The next chapter will probably start having some KakaSaku interaction, which I'm excited about. These first two chapters were just a little character development and such.

Also, I don't know if you know this but I've been keeping a U2 theme with the title of the story and the chapter titles. =] But this story is not in any way a songfic.


	3. Desire

**Chapter 3 – Desire**

As Sakura walked through the town on her way home late that afternoon, all the smells coming from the restaurants and food stands made her stomach growl louder and louder. It had been an eventful and tiring day with Tsunade-sama. She considered stopping at Ichiraku's for a piping hot bowl of his chewy noodles and savory broth before getting home when,

"Sakura!"

Kakashi had spotted her walking up the street just as he was finishing up his bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's.

She was elated when she realized it was him.

"Kakashi-sensei! Are you here by yourself?"

"Yea, I just finished training with Naruto so I was treating myself to an early dinner before heading home. What are you up to?"

"I was actually just on my way here to get something to eat. I see you've just finished up," she said with a slight frown of disappointment, not only because she wouldn't have minded sharing a meal with him but also because she had missed yet another chance to see him without his mask on. She ordered her food and grabbed the seat next to him.

"Do you want me to keep you company, Sakura? I have some time before I need to get home." He hoped she would not decline.

"Sure, if you're not busy. I always enjoy your company, but you don't ha – " she started cheerfully, but then interrupted herself. She had somehow missed it before but finally realized that Kakashi's arm was bandaged up to his elbow.

"What happened to your arm?!" she asked with worried eyes.

"Oh, well after you left this morning, Naruto and I were doing some training and... you know," he shrugged.

"I hope it's okay, sensei…."

"It's fine, really. It's looks worse than it feels," he lied. In actuality, it probably felt worse than it looked, but he didn't need to concern her with that.

Just then her food came. Kakashi felt relieved to have something to distract Sakura from his arm; it was the last thing he wanted to think about right now. Though he was unbelievably proud of Naruto and had seen this day rapidly approaching, he had to admit the idea of being surpassed already made him feel a little obsolete and this feeling was only heightened by being with Sakura. But he reminded himself it had been years since he had stopped being Naruto's teacher, that they were equals now. Which also reminded him,

"You know, Sakura, I'm technically not your sensei anymore, we're teammates. You can just call me Kakashi now."

"I've actually thought about that, too. But I've been calling you Sensei for so long that it's almost like it's a part of your name now, not just a title. Plus, we're still not exactly equals – you're the _captain _of my team." She paused for a moment. "But if you insist, maybe from now on I'll try throwing in some regular 'Kakashi's," she said with a little laugh.

"Sure, sounds good to me," he replied with a friendly smile.

She really did love that smile.

"Kakashi?" Whoa, it had felt strange to call him that out loud, but she continued. "You said earlier that you had to get home soon. I hope I'm not keeping you from something."

"No, don't worry, you're not. It's actually that, well…" he hesitated to continue. "I'm not sure but I might be going on a mission soon, maybe as soon as tonight. With Shikamaru's team…" He was pretty sure he did not need to go any further.

"Oh." He didn't.

She looked at him, and without saying anything, wished him good luck with a nod. Though she didn't want to let him on, she was filled with anxiety. She had been afraid of this. This would be a dangerous mission, one that even he might not return from.

"So did you do anything interesting with Tsunade-sama today?" he said, trying to change the subject.

Her face lit up.

"Actually, she showed me all the work she's done so far on rapid regeneration and asked me to do some research for her. After seeing Kabuto do it she's been trying to figure out a way to do it herself. Doesn't that sound exciting? Not the research part, of course, which was exhausting and tedious. But if we figure it out, think of all the lives we could save!" She smiled and then turned slightly red, as if embarrassed for getting so excited. She leaned down and slurped up some noodles, trying to block him from seeing her face with her hair.

He was impressed. The Fifth had included her, an apprentice, in some very important research, an honor she did not bestow upon many. It was something she normally reserved for her most talented colleagues. She must have been doing exceptionally.

Sakura continued eating in silence, only stopping every now and then to dab at the corners of her mouth with a napkin. The last thing she needed was to embarrass herself in front of Kakashi by having food on her face like a sloppy child. When she started to get full, she also started to suck in her stomach. And every time he looked at her, she only felt more self-conscious. In reality, he was probably only glancing at her every so often, but to her it seemed as if he were somehow able to see every inch of her, waiting for her to do something that would permanently mar his image of her, destroying any chance she had. She could hardly even taste her delicious ramen, her mind was so preoccupied. She began to feel almost trapped inside of her head and her body, but she straightened her posture and tried to make herself at least _look_ relaxed and graceful. But all this concern with poise and table manners made it so hard for her to eat comfortably that it wasn't long before she felt stomach pains from indigestion. As she tried to inconspicuously rub her stomach to soothe it she mentally berated herself.

_Quit being so freakin' insecure, you big baby! All you've succeeded in doing is causing one more thing you don't want him to notice!_

Kakashi looked over at Sakura. To anyone else she might have seemed completely natural but he could sense that she was getting stiffer every minute. He hoped it wasn't because of him for any reason, and looked down at his empty bowl in case it was because he was watching her.

When she finished eating, he pulled out his wallet and was about to pay for the both of them when Sakura quickly pulled out her own wallet and gave the money to Ichiraku.

"It's on me," she said with a shy smile. "As thanks for keeping me company."

He began to protest but knew it was too late. Instead, he smiled back and thanked her. He couldn't remember the last time somebody had treated him.

When they walked out of the booth, the sun was just starting to set.

"It's getting dark, I'm gonna walk you home," Kakashi stated in a way that let Sakura know that it wasn't a question and she shouldn't bother refusing – not that she wanted to.

As they walked, Kakashi looked up into the sky and then down at Sakura, whose hair perfectly blended into the pink and purple sunset. The wind would catch in her hair, making it bounce and sparkle where it caught the light. Standing right next to him, he realized just how small and cute she was. He smiled to himself.

She was walking so close he imagined he could feel her body heat. So close that he would barely even have to reach out to interlock his fingers with hers, something he wanted to do so much he had to make a mental effort to stop his fingers from twitching towards her anymore. If he had known how much she wanted the same thing, he might have given in. Instead, he jammed his hand in his pocket and scowled at himself, telling himself to get a grip.

She had seen the quick movement of his arm out of the corner of her eye and looked up at him. Her heart dropped to see that he seemed unhappy and that his mind was obviously elsewhere. Not wanting to pry, she refrained from asking him what was wrong and instead looked at the hand he had just put away. Then she remembered his other injured arm. She watched it swing as he walked.

"Kakashi, Naruto's figuring out the technique pretty quickly, huh? I must say that was such a brilliant idea you had, having him train with his shadow replications," she said to him with her best smile. She hoped it would cheer him up a little.

Just one look at her quickly snapped him out of his funk.

"Heh, thanks. Yea, Naruto's doing great. He's achieved something in a few days that even the Fourth never could. I have to say, when I look at you and Naruto, I feel so proud to have had a part, no matter how small, in your growth as ninjas."

He was being too humble. Didn't he realize just how big of a role he had played in her and Naruto's lives? She didn't even know how she could begin to describe.

"Sensei, your part was certainly not in any way small! I can't even begin – " She stopped herself before she got too emotional or sappy. She took a breath and started again. "I know I speak for Naruto, too, when I say that you have had a _huge_ influence on us, and you still do. Not just as ninjas, but also as people."

She looked up at him and their eyes locked for a moment, before Kakashi smiled and looked up at the sky.

"Thanks, Sakura."

Though she was glad to be sharing this moment with him, her inner Sakura was slightly disappointed. In her dreamworld, this was where he would lean down and kiss her passionately before taking her back to his apartment, where they would stay up all night and…

"Sakura?"

"Hm?" Damn, he had startled her out of her fantasy just as she was getting to a good part.

"You're home."

"Haha, oh. Sorry, I was spacing out for a second there." She gathered her senses and sadly realized she had to say good night. "Thanks for walking me home, I know it's a bit out of the way."

"It's my pleasure." It really was. He had actually been wishing that her house was further away so he could walk with her a little longer. He knew he would have walked all night to stay close to her.

"If you leave tonight…" She pictured him getting hurt, or worse, and she struggled to keep her emotions under control, "if you leave tonight, good luck on the mission. Please be careful. I'll see you when you return. Or maybe sooner if Tsunade-sama sends us as your back-up."

He nodded, eye carefully watching her. "Thanks. I'll see you then."

She had been worried that it might be her last time seeing him, but she was put a little more at ease when she realized he was making her a promise. He had never broken a promise to her yet. Still, it was difficult to resist throwing her arms around his neck, but she managed and said good-night to him.

Kakashi turned around and slowly started to walk home. He contemplated turning back around. He had seen the love in her eyes as they said their good-byes. He just wasn't sure if it was as a student and teammate, or something else.

He stopped.

"Sakura?" He turned to see her about to turn the doorknob.

She tried not to get her hopes up as she put her hand down and half turned to look at him.

"I…"

_What are you doing? Do you have any idea? Tonight is certainly not the right time for this! And this is a terrible idea to begin with, you already know that. _

"… Stay safe."

Her heart sank as she watched him walk away.

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Whew, this was a long one! I hope you liked it, it was a labor of love. I was trying to show the dynamic between the two, with all the range of crazy emotions one might feel around someone they are secretly in love with.

I would love some feedback, so please review! Oh, and a big hug to those who have reviewed, I really appreciate it! :D


	4. A Sort of Homecoming

**Chapter 4 – A Sort of Homecoming**

_Click_.

Sakura shut the door behind her and leaned against it. God, she felt foolish for getting her hopes up, but she pretty sure by the way he faltered that that was not what Kakashi had really wanted to say.

_Kakashi, what is it? Why couldn't you tell me?_

She hoped it wasn't that she had somehow given herself away and he was trying to let her down gently. Though she tried hard to be discreet, she sometimes felt like a broken cup when she was near him – unable to keep from spilling her guts. She bit her lower lip and lightly banged her head against the door a few times, wishing things had gone differently.

As Sakura lay in bed that night, she realized that Kakashi had seemed different from his usual self that evening – gentler, more vulnerable, and a little… moody? Or perhaps he was just distracted, which was understandable, considering the mission ahead of him. The truth was, and yes she hated herself for this, she hadn't given up all hope that Kakashi might secretly also have feelings for her. She recounted the events of the evening, and tried to find clues to how he truly felt about her, and tried to explain his unusual behavior with her hopeful theory. She focused on how he had stayed with her at Ichiraku's, how he had walked her home, his smiles…

Her heart fluttered when she remembered how he had told her he was proud of her. It was so genuine. Plus, not many people said things like that to her. Her parents weren't exactly thrilled about her being a ninja in the first place, and their attitudes had improved little since she had become a medic. Not to mention they weren't exactly the most expressive people in the world anyway. It felt nice to have his support.

In the end though, she knew her searching was in vain, that she was just imagining things. She had to give it up or else she'd have to deal with crushing disappointment again, like tonight.

She stayed up that night for what felt like hours, thinking about him and wishing he were next to her, before finally drifting off to sleep.

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As Kakashi walked home, he looked up at the sky where the first stars were starting to become visible. He hardly knew how to feel about his evening with Sakura. He had loved being near her, talking to her and making her smile. But he cursed himself for his momentary lapse of control and almost telling her. He didn't know exactly what it was about her but she just had a way of… _disarming_ him.

Perhaps it was because she had looked so beautiful that night. Really, she looked beautiful all the time.

Approaching his apartment, Kakashi took his keys out of his pocket. He stood in front of the door and could barely find the will to open it. He knew what awaited him inside – _nothing_. Absolutely nothing. He sighed, unlocked the door, and went inside. This was always his least favorite part, coming home to his dark and sparse, yet still somehow cluttered, apartment. Even during the summer, it felt cold and unwelcoming. This was probably why he was constantly on missions. It was true that he was in high demand because of his skills, but he never complained of the workload because it gave him an excuse to be away from home, and it distracted him from the numbing emptiness.

Times like these, he felt utterly alone. He wished he had someone to talk to, about anything but especially about Sakura. He needed some advice, someone to use as a sounding board. He couldn't think of anybody alive who he could trust to not judge him or go blab to somebody else. Or he just wished he had Sakura to come home to.

He lied down on the couch and linked his fingers behind his head. Memories of the night flooded his mind. She had sensed the moodiness resulting from his inner conflicts and had tried her best to make him feel better. She was so caring and had always been very intuitive of feelings. He wondered what would have happened if he had continued what he wanted to say. Not that he even sure what it was that he had wanted to say. Was he going to tell her how he felt? Was he going to ask her how she felt? How would she have responded? He could picture a look of horror creeping onto her face.

He glanced at the clock before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. Kakashi closed his eyes and concentrated on the warm water beating down on his head. He loved how cathartic and calming it was.

Again, his mind roamed to Sakura. He imagined for a moment what it would be like if she were in there with him. What it would be like to kiss her and touch her… to put his lips on her neck, feel her wet skin pressed against his, hear her moan when he…

_Pervert. She's practically a child. _He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the pleasant ache growing inside of him. Though it was certainly true that she possessed a maturity that belied her age, he had to remind himself that she was actually just barely legal.

When he finished, he got out, got dressed, and grabbed his things. He took a quick look around his apartment before turning off the lights and heading out the door. Walking into the night, the only reason he was sure he'd be back was because he had a promise to keep.

_I'll see you then._

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Any thoughts? Let me know. Thanks. =]


	5. One Step Closer

**Chapter 5 – One Step Closer**

A few days later, as they walked back to Konoha after defeating the two Akatsuki members, Sakura couldn't help but notice how tired Kakashi looked. She couldn't blame him. After all, one of them had been practically immortal and the other one actually _was _immortal. And she wasn't the only one with this observation.

"Kakashi-taichou, should we stop here?" Shikamaru asked. "You seem pretty tired and it _is_ starting to get dark," he said looking up at the sky.

"Oh, no I'm fine. Let's go a little longer and set up camp then," replied Kakashi.

_You don't always have to be so brave, Kakashi_.

Shikamaru seemed unconvinced, but agreed anyway.

"At least let me carry the corpse, Senpai," requested Yamato.

Kakashi thought this over for a moment before reluctantly handing the dead Akatsuki over. Honestly, he was unbelievably tired and sore. It amazed him how his arms and legs felt like both jelly and lead at the same time. He trundled on, not wanting to look weak in front of Sakura. He was just glad he hadn't needed to use mangekyo sharingan and have someone to carry him back.

They continued walking for a while, before Kakashi 's legs gave out from underneath him. Kneeling on the ground, he felt slightly embarrassed. He shook his head and tried to get back up, but couldn't find the energy to move.

_So much for wanting to appear strong_, he thought to himself with a wistful smile.

"Kakashi-sensei!" he heard her exclaim in surprise as she ran over to him. "Here, let me heal you, you look exhausted." She kneeled beside him and gave him a small smile. "That Akatsuki must have given you quite a beating," she teased.

He was too tired to argue so he simply nodded and lay on the ground with his eyes closed. Besides, it would be a chance to be near her. He vaguely heard Yamato using his jutsu to build a shelter in a clearing nearby.

As Sakura sat beside him, she became nervous. She was going to have to touch him to thoroughly treat him – she couldn't help but notice how perfect his body was underneath his tight-fitting shirt. She thanked the heavens that his eyes were already closed and wouldn't be able to notice her blushing.

She poked and prodded him, tentatively at first, but became more relaxed and confident when she fell into a methodical rhythm. It was something she'd done so many times already that she could do it with her eyes closed. When she was doing her job, the world seemed to fall away and she could just focus on the task at hand.

He groaned and fidgeted slightly when she touched his ribs and she pulled her hands away like they had been shocked. After a little more examining, she figured he had probably gotten his ribs bruised or fractured during the fight. She placed her hands over his chest and closed her eyes to better focus her chakra into them.

The relief was almost immediate. It was a wonderful sensation, like his skin was humming. As it coursed through his body, he felt like he was swimming in chakra. The pain soon seemed like a distant memory. She truly was amazing.

As she continued to heal him, her mind started to wander. She thought about Naruto and he was training, about Sasuke and how much she hoped for his safe return, about all the hardships Konoha had already faced and all the imminent dangers that still loomed ahead. But mostly she thought about Kakashi and how worried she had been when he had left, and how much she loved him without any hope of his returning her feelings. Though she tried to stop them, tears began to well up in her eyes from the overwhelming sense of helplessness from it all.

Kakashi was enjoying his healing session when he suddenly realized that the sensation was gone. He opened his eyes and looked up at Sakura, who was looking down at her hands that were folded loosely in her lap. He was shocked to see that she was crying.

"Sakura!"

She opened her eyes and saw him sitting up in front of her, never quite looking up at his face. She wiped her eyes and tried to stop the tears. The last thing she wanted was to let Kakashi see her cry, but the more she thought about him, the harder she had to fight it. It felt as if her heart would break in two. Damn it, she wanted him so much.

"Sakura, look at me. What's wrong?"

But she didn't, couldn't, look at him. And there was _no way_ she was going to tell him what was wrong. Besides, she was sure that if she spoke, her voice would crack or she'd start hyperventilating.

"Sakura," he tried again, to no avail. Finally, before he could stop himself, he put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up. The touch shook her to her core. But she still couldn't lift her eyes to meet his gaze.

He cupped her face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears, so gingerly it was as if he was afraid he would break her. He wished there was something, anything, he could do to take away her pain. It had to be something terrible, he had rarely seen her cry in all the years they had known each other. She normally stood tough in even the most dangerous missions.

"Sakura. Please, talk to me. Why are you crying?"

His gentle touches and his earnest desire to help only made her heart ache more for him.

To him, it was obvious he wasn't helping. In fact, she seemed to be crying even more and his worry was slowly being replaced with panic. He needed to do _something_. In his desperation, he did the only thing he could think of. He pulled her in close towards him and wrapped his arms around her. As soon as her head touched his chest, everything felt so… right. She belonged in his arms. He closed his eyes, rested his chin on her head, and took in the fragrant smell of her hair. In the back of his mind, he could hardly believe what he was doing, but he forced his reservations aside.

Neither could she, but she was too busy crying into his shirt to analyze what was happening. She felt like she was home in his arms, but as he stroked her hair and back, she wished he was doing it for the right reason.

"Sakura, I don't know why you're crying, but you can talk to me. You can trust me." _Because I love you._

"Kakashi…" she began, not quite knowing where she was going.

Suddenly, Sakura opened her eyes in disbelief. She quickly double checked. Yes, there was no mistaking it. As a medic, she had been trained so extensively to listen to heartbeats that it was like second nature. And as she rested her ear and hands against his chest, she could tell that his heart rate was definitely accelerating. She couldn't think of any other reason for it than…

She slowly pulled away from him and finally looked into his eyes, or rather, his eye and the spot where his other eye should have been. Her eyes squinted slightly, searching him for the truth.

_Shit. _He wasn't sure how, but she knew.

He had to get out of there. He broke eye contact with her and looked up at the sky.

"They're probably wondering what happened to us. Let's get to camp." And with that, he got up and started walking toward Yamato's cabin.

As Sakura watched him walk away, she couldn't believe this was happening again. But this time, it was a little different. This time, she knew.

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Sorry for taking so long with this one. I've been busy.

Anyway, I hope you guys aren't getting too frustrated with the pace of the story. I'm trying not to rush things between them.


	6. When Love Comes To Town

**Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed! You guys keep me going. *Giant hug***

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**Chapter 6 – When Love Comes to Town**

_What are you doing? I mean really, what are you doing? Are you sure you want to do this? Maybe you should go home…_

Sakura paced up and down the hallway trying to gather courage to do the thing she had wanted to do for the past three days. She had been obsessing over the whole thing since _that_ night.

After Kakashi had walked away from her, he'd made sure to not to give her any chance to talk to him or even make eye contact with him. When they walked to town, he always walked ahead of her (which she was honestly glad for – she didn't like the idea of being in front of him, feeling like he was watching her), always kept busy with some task, always talked to the other team members.

Upon their arrival to Konoha, she'd gone back to resuming her normal life, but in the back of her mind she kept replaying the night in her head and wondered if she was just being silly. There were certainly times when she'd felt foolish for believing something so implausible with _so little _evidence. However, she couldn't let go of that little piece of evidence.

She had to know for sure.

Which was why she finally stopped in front of one of the many doors in the hallway. She raised a trembling hand to her mouth and lightly bit the knuckle of her left thumb apprehensively and looked at the door. It shouldn't have been so intimidating really, it was just an ordinary dark green door like one would find in any apartment building. But for some reason it seemed to tower over her. Perhaps because of who was inside….

She raised her right fist and just as her knuckle was about to meet the door, she pulled it away just as quickly. She wasn't ready for this. There was a huge possibility of rejection here. Who knew where this conversation would lead? She moved a little to the side of the door in case, for some crazy reason, he chose that exact moment to look through the peephole and saw her.

Sakura leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. If she didn't do it now, it would just become ridiculous bringing it up with him at some later point. She had to do it…. _Now_.

Before she could stop herself, she planted herself in front of the door and knocked firmly.

* * *

_Must be the take-out delivery guy. _

He glanced at his watch. They were surprisingly quick today, not that he was complaining; he was starving. Kakashi shut the TV off and got up from his couch to answer the door.

Needless to say, he was quite surprised to see who it was.

"Sakura!" he exclaimed. He was too surprised to put on his usual cool-and-aloof face. "What brings you here?"

_I hope it's not that. Please, don't be here to talk to me about that. Tell me anything else. Tell me I'm sick. Tell me there's a disaster where I'm needed. Tell me the Hokage wants to see me. Anything. _

He pleaded with her in his mind.

"I… Can I talk to you? Are you busy?" Sakura chewed on her lip as she looked at him.

Damn it all. He did not want to do this so much that, in fact, he had been actively avoiding her the past few days. But he sighed inwardly and gestured for her to come in. He would have to get this over with sooner or later. He just wished he had more time to consider his answers/lies and practice his acting.

" Why don't you sit down. Would you like some tea? I was just making some."

"Sure," she said quietly. It would give her something to keep her hands busy. She sat on his big couch and absentmindedly thought how comfortable it would be to take a nap there. While waiting for Kakashi to come back with the tea, she glanced around the apartment. She'd been inside only once before, many years ago. It was completely unchanged except for the growing book collection.

In the kitchen, Kakashi poured the tea into two mugs. While letting them steep for a moment, he tried to anticipate what Sakura would say and tried to come up with he would say in turn. He truly hoped he would be able to keep himself together, keep from confirming her suspicions. It was just that he hated to lie. Of course as a ninja, his whole professional life was about secrecy. In private, however, lying had always bothered him – he could be a compulsive truth-teller at times. He started to panic a little. What would she think if she knew? He cringed at the thought of her looking disgusted with him, having some crush on a student.

Then he remembered the night he had walked her home before the mission. He remembered the love and admiration with which she had looked at him. At the very least he could count on her not being too judgmental. When the tea was finished, he took the mugs and walked out of the safety of his kitchen. It was time to face the music.

* * *

"So," he said, handing her a mug. "What's up?" As if he didn't know.

He glanced around the room and tried to find a place to situate himself. Exactly what position was appropriate for something like this? Sitting down next to her somehow seemed wrong, pulling up a chair to her seemed wrong, sitting in the couch across from her seemed wrong, standing seemed wrong… Finally, he decided to sit on the coffee table in front of her.

She didn't know where to start. She hadn't really considered what she would say once she got here. She took a sip of her tea.

"Kakashi-sensei, I wanted to talk to you about that night… When we were on our way back here from the mission…."

"Oh," he replied. "What about it?" As if he didn't know.

"_What about it"? _Why was he playing dumb? Of course he a flash, Sakura's facial expression changed from embarrassment to annoyance to anger, and then finally settled on contemplative.

She still had no idea what to say. She could tell him what she had observed, she could ask him if they had meant anything, she could ask him how he felt about her. But she was already tired of all this. She just wanted to be honest with him. If things didn't go her way and she ended up completely humiliated and heartbroken, at least she would have no more questions or doubts. So instead, she went with this –

"Kakashi, there are a lot of things I could say and ask right now, but I don't want to beat around the bush, so I'm gonna do this instead." She looked down at the mug sitting in her lap and took a moment and to gather her courage and her thoughts. She took in a deep breath and just let it out.

"Kakashi, I'm in love with you. I have been for a while now…"

She looked up at him again. His face was completely blank but his eyes were alert.

_Oh god… there's no turning back now. Just keep going._

"I know it's wrong but I think about you all the time. I've never said anything up until now because I assumed that nothing could ever happen between us… I assumed… that you couldn't possibly feel anything for someone… like me… But, the past few days I've noticed… some things. And I couldn't help but wonder…"

She flashed her intensely beautiful eyes at him, full of uncertainty, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Do you have any feelings for me?"

* * *

He was _stunned_.

He could not believe what he was hearing. This woman he had loved for all these years, this beautiful woman sitting right in front of him, _loved _him?!

There was so much to digest, he didn't know where to start. He got up and walked to his window. The sun was setting in Konoha, casting an orange glow to the town. He crossed his arms and leaned on the window frame. He carefully thought about what he should say at this point. Should he lie and tell her that she was mistaken? Break her heart and send her on her way?

On the other hand, he knew as soon as she had started talking that he couldn't do that. She had been so refreshingly honest, and so incredibly mature it astounded him almost as much as her actual confession. He couldn't help but smile at himself a little. It was so like her, to put all the cards on the table, prepared to deal with any of the painful consequences. If he was in love with her before, he was that much more in love with her now. Besides, now that she was here in his home, he wasn't sure he could look her in the eyes and deny what he felt for her.

"Sakura," he started, half turned to her, half looking out the window. He took a moment to think about what he wanted to say. He sighed.

She could see how conflicted he was. He didn't want to hurt her… She felt the ground beneath her begin to crumble.

"When you first came here, I'd already decided that I was going to say. But then you came here and…." He gave a quiet, amused laugh. "How could I do that now after how brave you've been with me? I think you deserve more respect than that…

Hope was cautiously rising within her.

"The truth is… Sakura… I've been in love with you for a long time now, too. I don't know why you thought I couldn't love 'someone like you.' You obviously don't realize how amazing you are. "

Her heart soared.

"But…"

And then took a nosedive. _But?_

"But, I too had my reasons for not telling you. Honestly, Sakura, it was almost impossible to see you every day and not tell you how I felt. But I knew that I shouldn't because even if you did return my feelings, which I now know you do, I couldn't do that to you. You shouldn't tie yourself to someone like me."

It almost hurt to say that out loud.

* * *

What on earth was he talking about?

"What do you mean? What's wrong with you? … I think you're incredible…"

_Incredible? Focus, Kakashi, focus. _

"It's really not that hard to see, is it? You even said yourself, just now, that you knew it was wrong to have these feelings for me. I'm all wrong for you. I'm thirty-two, you're eighteen and barely legal – I'm a whole fourteen years older than you! And I'm your former sensei and your current team leader who has known you since you were a mere twelve years old. Haven't you thought about what people would say, especially about me? I've already got a reputation as an eccentric pervert. Sakura, you're young and beautiful and… _perfect_. You should find someone who's less complicated, someone… who _deserves_ you…"

Those were all valid points, of course. These were things she had already thought about. But at this moment she could only focus on one thing.

"You think I'm perfect??" she asked him with a shy smile.

Now he just looked frustrated.

"Haven't you heard anything I said?!" he almost shouted at her. "Sakura, listen to me. We're _wrong_ for each other. We _shouldn't be_. It would be best for you to forget about me. And it would be best for me to forget about you."

Eyes open wide, she just stared at him. Neither said anything for what seemed like eternity.

"Don't you think," she said, as tears started to well up in her eyes, "that I've _tried_ to forget about you?! For _six years_ I've done nothing _but _that. Don't belittle my feelings for you like that."

Now she was the one getting frustrated. She damned herself for crying again, but she already knew she wouldn't be able to stop herself. Frustration, she knew, made her cry more easily than sadness or pain. She set her mug down and stood up to face him.

"Would it be that easy for you? And _of course_ I heard what you said. And they're all good reasons… but I think the pain of being talked about or rejected by the town… couldn't compare to the pain of going another six years just _watching_ you from afar… And now that I know that you feel the same way, do you really think I could just go home and _forget_?" she bit out between sobs, too heated to feel embarrassed about what she was confessing _now._

"I know," she said after taking a few breaths to try to calm herself, "I'm being selfish, I don't like the idea of people talking badly about you… I think _you_ deserve better than me, too… but…"

She didn't know how to go on. She _couldn't_ go on. Luckily, she didn't have to.

He sighed, walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug. He rested his chin on her head and stroked her hair gently.

_Déjà vu_,he thought with a small smile.

"Sakura," he said softly, "please don't cry. I hate seeing you do that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled... I was just frustrated."

Finally, she got the crying under control, mostly because of the joy of feeling his arms holding her.

"I think," he said after some time, "that you could _never_ be selfish when it came to me. Because I honestly don't care what people say about me. I just don't want you to be the one dating the guy who people think is a creepy pervert.

"And, I don't want you to think that I was belittling you. I think I just didn't understand how strongly you felt. But now that I know… to tell you the truth… all the things I thought would be major obstacles for us don't seem like such big deals anymore…"

Her big, green eyes looked up at him.

"Really?" she asked while placing her hands on his chest.

"Really," he nodded.

"You really don't care what people might say?"

"Nope," he replied, still stroking her hair.

"And you don't care about the age issue?"

"Hmm… well I suppose you _are _eighteen… and I think you're probably more mature than some people I know who are much older than you are. Don't you care about how much older I am?"

"Honestly, I think it's kinda kinky, don't you?"

"What?!"

She burst into laughter.

"I'm just joking. Your age isn't an issue."

He grumbled, but she could tell he was trying not to smile.

"And you don't care about my… book collection?"

"Well, this time… I really do think it's kinda kinky…" she said, blushing profusely, "I don't mind that you enjoy… reading."

He was shocked. She really was brave. And mature.

"So," he looked into her eyes, "are we really doing this?"

"I hope so."

"Sakura," he said, not breaking eye contact with her, "I love you very much. I don't think I could explain to you how happy I am right now."

"I think I might have an idea…" her voice faded when she saw his face.

Serious.

Uncovered.

_How did he remove his mask so quickly? _

With wide eyes she finally saw the reason why people blushed at the mere sight of his face. He was so handsome it almost hurt to look at him, she didn't even realize she was holding her breath. All these years, the mask had been covering a perfect, masculine jawline and nose, and soft lips.

Lips.

Her body started to awaken with adrenaline when she realized what this meant. She bit the side of her lip from nervousness. She'd never done this before.

He lowered his head to hers, ignoring the rush of blood in his ears. God, he had wanted to do this for so long. He turned his head slightly and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her cheeks radiate towards him. He desperately hoped she would meet him the rest of the way.

She wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but she hoped that she'd figure it out as she went. After a moment of hesitation she closed her eyes and let her love for him take over.

When they met, she felt her heart would tear into two, it felt so full. It was almost unbelievable that she could be so lucky. His hand gently cupped her face, the touch making her pulse race even more. She moved her arms from his chest to wrap around him and pulled herself closer to him.

It was gentle, passionate, and just like the rest of him – _perfect_.

With one last kiss on her lower lip, he pulled away before he lost control – he wanted to keep this sweet and gentle. He smiled at her and lightly kissed her forehead. It sent a shiver from her head down her back. He held her for a moment and tried to remember how to breathe.

_Ding dong!_

"Are you hungry? I ordered dinner... there should be more than enough for both of us. Will you join me?"

She felt too lightheaded to do anything but nod once slowly.

He smiled and went to open the door.

* * *

**Whew! I hoped everybody liked this one, cuz finally, we're getting somewhere!**

**Isn't Sakura so cool? I wish I could be more like that. Haha. **

**Anybody have any thoughts? Corrections? Suggestions? Please do review, I'd really like some feedback on this chapter. :D **


	7. Stay

**So I don't know if you realized after the previous chapter, but this fic has deviated from the original story. Simply cuz it's easier. =] Now, on with the show!**

**Chapter 7 – Stay**

Sakura sat in the chair as she watched Kakashi unpack the food and set the table. It was still impossible to get over how handsome he was. He kept the mask off but still wore the hitai-ate to cover his sharingan. She smiled shyly when he caught her staring and gave her a kiss on top of her head. Happiness pervaded every cell of her body.

The joy was only slightly interrupted when she felt her stomach rumble. She'd been too nervous and otherwise preoccupied to eat the whole day and now her stomach felt like it was trying to eat itself. It was a good thing there was enough food for them both. Really, there was enough food for a whole team that included Chouji. Her eyes widened as she saw the mountain of food growing bigger and bigger. All this was originally for one person?!

He laughed at her surprised expression.

"Yea, I don't know why I always order so much. I always feel bad when I have to throw it away after it goes bad. Maybe I've been secretly wishing somebody will show up to eat with me. I guess I was lucky tonight," he said and winked at her.

"I think I'm the lucky one. I'm so hungry and everything looks delicious" she replied, trying to keep from grinning like an idiot. She could hardly believe something as small as a wink could be so sexy.

_________

"I have to ask, how did you know that I... had feelings for you?" He looked at her as if trying to figure out a puzzle.

She rested her cheek in her palm and looked at him.

"Well, I think the first time I started thinking something might be up was when you walked me home before you left for that mission and you seemed… different. But I'd pushed that aside as wishful thinking. What made me come here tonight was when you were holding me when I was crying that night. When I said your name and put my hands on your chest, I felt your heartbeat become irregular and then speed up… Monitoring heartbeats is like breathing to me," she shrugged.

"Wow," he laughed, "I don't even know what to say to that. All this time I've tried to be so careful, controlling what I say and do, my facial expressions… but I can't really control my heartbeat, huh? I didn't even realize it was something I should do."

Then, he became very serious.

"Sakura, why were you crying? You scared me half to death."

"Oh… I was just thinking about… things… and I just felt so... Whatever, it's really not important, let's move on," she squirmed in her chair as she bit her lip. She could hardly tell him she was crying over him, nor did she want to get into all the bad things that had been happening in the town and to her friends.

He nodded. Though he wanted to press her further, he could clearly see she was uncomfortable. "I just want you to know that you can tell me anything. I don't want you to feel like you have to hold back with me."

"I know," she smiled to him.

They continued to eat. When they were just about finished, Kakashi turned to her with a twinkle in his eye.

"So, six years, eh?"

"What is this, 20 Questions?!" her face started to burn crimson. Her shyness was so adorable.

He just laughed.

"Yeah… it started off as just a crush when I was twelve. But then somewhere along the way, probably about two years ago around the time Naruto came back, it slowly developed into something more… So, how long has it been for you?" she asked, still a bright shade of red.

"I think," he paused for a moment, "probably about two years for me, too. One day I looked at you and just realized that you'd become… everything I ever wanted."

His words shook her to the core. She leaned in to kiss him and hoped that it translated everything she was feeling for him. At first it was sweet, just like the first one. But as he kissed her with growing fervor, all thoughts of dinner quickly passed away and she dropped her chopsticks onto the table before reaching behind his neck to pull him in closer.

Breathing became labored as he put a hand on her waist and led her onto her feet. She, in turn, put her hands on his lower back and firmly closed the little space that was left between their hips, a move that set his body on fire. She couldn't seem to get enough of him.

He slowly inched her towards the couch, making sure not to break contact with her lips. She lay down on it and though she wanted to smile at him to cut through some of the seriousness, the desire coursing through her veins made it impossible.

He lay down beside her, not wanting her to be able to feel his growing erection by lying on top of her. He didn't want to rush things. Even now he felt that perhaps he was going too fast, that he should not have let it get this heated. She was young, probably inexperienced, and their relationship was new and… delicate, to say the least.

He took a minute to stroke her soft hair and tuck some behind her ear as he tried to get himself under control. He caressed her jaw and wondered what he had done to deserve such a gift. She sensed something was going on with him, that the raw heat was dissipating and she wrapped her leg around his to bring him back. He gently kissed her jaw and proceeded down her neck, each kiss sending a spark in her brain, when-

_GrRrrRrr!_ Her stomach growled.

"Digestion," she quietly explained with an embarrassed laugh. She looked at the clock and then out the window into the dark. "It's getting late. I think I should head home."

"It _is_ getting late…" he said as he sat up.

She slowly got up and turned toward the door, until she felt his hand grab hers. She turned around and almost bumped into his chest.

"Stay."

Though she hadn't planned or prepared for this, she instantly decided that she was ready for wherever this went. Sakura silently thanked the gods for giving her the fortune of having move out of her parents' home a year ago so she could be closer to the hospital and Tsunade-sama. She wouldn't want to have to explain why she wasn't coming home.

____________

**So? How was it? I know this one's kind of short but I wanted to save the rest for later. ; ]**

**A great big thanks to those who have reviewed and those who will review. You guys rock my world! Seriously! I really appreciate all of them.**


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